The Halfling and the Exile

[Verona]

Name: Isaac Barrowman
Age: 21
Bio: Isaac's pack lived miles from the nearest human cities, in a small village home to only themselves and the forest and animals around them. They had, at one time, lived closer to what most termed 'civilization', but once their alpha changed they had found it best to change things. Living further from human societies meant less of a chance for a full moon to lead to human death, and therefore less damage would be done to their home when the people finally got stupid and started going on witch hunts.
Isaac had always been headstrong and, at times, even defiant of his alpha. His alpha happened to be his own father, and the man had always had strong feelings toward blood ties even within pack dynamics. After the previous alpha had killed Isaac's uncle, Isaac's father took the man down in a fit of rage, and as he grew up Isaac watched his alpha father degenerate into a paranoid, power hungry beast. Any hint of mutiny was crushed before it could begin, and eventually most that were left were too afraid to bring an end to the unreasonable tyranny. Isaac was given mercy because he was the man's son, yet even he was afraid - so afraid and so young. But he couldn't watch as his pack family cowered in terror. When he was still young for a wolf, he challenged his own father and, barely, succeeded in killing the man and becoming alpha, knowing even as he did it that it would have terrible consequences for him.
Furious and hurting, Isaac's mother banished him from his pack, and he only made sure that a wolf he trusted would take over as alpha before fleeing. Hurt from the battle and without a place to go, he ran for miles and miles before finding a place to rest, and afterwards continued on to try and find himself somewhere to live. He stopped at a particular stretch of land just to use the river to bathe and to lick his wounds, and was shortly discovered by a pack that had, apparently, already been occupying the space. He was shown mercy by the alpha of that pack, given asylum and a chance to possibly have a place with these new wolves.
Other: Isaac does his best to stay in his place as low wolf on the totem pole, but can't stand the idea of a pack member bringing danger to the rest of the pack.






It had been over a month since Isaac had left his home, and his injuries had gradually turned to scars. There were claw marks at the back of his jaw, running down the left side of his neck. The mark of teeth that bit down and tore on his right shoulder. Another slash down his left arm, and the remnants of deep, jagged wounds down his right flank and leg. He hadn't come out of the fight unscathed, but even if he didn't like to talk about what he'd done he would never try to make himself regret it. What he'd done was for the safety of his pack, for their wellbeing - if he had to suffer in their place, he would bear it.

The new pack he'd found didn't feel like home. Isaac wasn't sure it ever would, but he obeyed his new alpha's direction, carried out any of the tasks left to him though they were often menial or simply busywork. When he wasn't working or left on babysitting duty, he was usually off by himself, hiding in a tree somewhere or learning the lay of this new land. It wasn't that he disliked children - children were the future, after all - but it all felt like reminders of how much he had lost, how far he had fallen, how many he had forced himself to leave behind. And, if he was being honest, he was beginning to run out of stories to tell them that explained away his scars.

For now, until it was decided for sure whether or not he would be allowed to stay and have a place in this pack, he was sleeping in a shed that had been turned into a small living space, with a mattress for a bed and the bag he'd taken with him when he left his home serving as a place for his meager belongings. Any food he needed was hunted on his own - with permission - or given to him by others. He didn't complain, knowing they could have locked him away somewhere and left him to rot simply for trespassing. Still, he did often leave a stick, pebble, or left at the inside of the door to know if anyone had entered 'his' space while he was gone. A few had felt the need to investigate him, and as nothing important went missing he hadn't said a word.

Closing the shed's door quietly behind him, Isaac pulled his jacket a bit closer around him with his hands in the pockets, glanced behind him as if to check if anyone was there, and started walking towards the trees. He'd already eaten lunch, and he hadn't been given any tasks for the rest of the day so he'd a mind to spend his time either taking a leisurely walk, hiding out somewhere, or just going for a run. Eventually, he knew he would have to try harder to integrate himself into this new pack, but for the moment he preferred being alone with his thoughts, muddling through all the destruction and loss he'd put himself through. Maybe some day he would wander off and just not come back.

 

[Ethys]

Four months.

It had been four months since Niari had bitten Tomas, her eldest brother. They had been tussling, as siblings always do. She had felt the urge as she had for several months before, but this time, there was no holding back. The bite had been swift and deep. She had been terrified that she hurt him, but he seemed more stunned than anything. He had seen her fangs and the desperation in her eyes. Yet she was still here. He had claimed the injury came from a stray Vampire who had been drunk and looking for a fight. Nobody pursued the issue. He had kept her secret, but at what cost? He would not look at her, speak to her, or truly acknowledge that she was even there. Tomas had been her best friend, and now it was as though she had lost a brother.

A Halfling. Disgusting. She hadn't known, not until she turned seventeen and began to crave blood. Even now she did not dare to confront her mother about who her true father was. Her mother was the Alpha and was not to be questioned. The woman was not cruel, not by any stretch, but she was stern. Not a woman to cross, especially now. Her mother was on edge, uneasy about the newcomer to their pack. She had been willing to take him in, but it was easy to see that she wasn't sure if he was to be trusted. He was a Werewolf, as they all were, which meant he was automatically accepted.

Trust came with time.

Niari was sitting by the large fire in the center of the clearing that they lived in. Everybody was laughing and chattering about random things, enjoying the night. It was a perfect time for a run. Several were already gone. Tomas had left without her noticing. Perhaps if she went out, she would find him and be able to apologize. She hesitated, then left the warm glow of the flames in favor of her bedroom in the large cabin her family had. It was a quick enough process to strip down and shift. Not the most comfortable thing, sure, but the pain faded with practice.

She shook herself off and stretched, immediately in a better mood. What was better than a run under the stars, with a heavy half-moon sitting low in the sky? Nothing. She ran out the back door, taking off through the trees like a grey bullet. Nothing could stop her now. The wind was in her fur, the scent of the trees and small animals caressing her senses, the light of the stars making navigation as simple as breathing. There was no reason for her to stop running for the next few hours at least.. no reason, except for the sudden scent of blood. She slowed and cocked an ear, changing direction until she found Tomas. There he was, squirming and whimpering. His Wolf form was large and black, but now it was stained with red, his hind leg caught in a bear trap that he hadn't seen. Niari advanced slowly, torn between the desire to help him and the desire to tear him apart.

 

[Verona]

Isaac had spent most of his afternoon and evening close enough to the main living space of the pack to hear the way the people chattered and enjoyed themselves, but as night had fallen he'd wandered off. Still in his human form, he'd gone for a walk towards the river, and had lingered there listening to the water and basking in the moonlight for a long time. The quiet was better for him, when all the voices of this pack only reminded him that it wasn't his.

That changed when the wind shifted direction, and suddenly all he could smell was the blood.

The breeze was still drifting away from where the others were, and though he usually would have stayed away he knew it could be hours before anyone realized anything was wrong. Without much thought towards consequences, Isaac got to his feet and started at a swift walk towards the scent. It was too strong for just a cut or a small wound, and it had the tang of wolf to its scent, so he knew immediately something was wrong. It wasn't the first time he had ever caught the scent of an injured wolf before and this one was bad. He came across the scene at a point where he could see it from a few dozen feet away, still, and stopped at the sound of another wolf nearby. He slowed, and if he hadn't caught the strange way this she-wolf looked at her injured packmate he might have just turned and left.

Carefully, quietly, Isaac made his way forward, circling a bit to slip free of the trees with the injured wolf between himself and this she-wolf that waited nearby, doing nothing. She wasn't changing back, and she couldn't help him in the form she was in. Isaac watched her with a wary, suspicious gaze, eyes firmly set on her even as he drew a knife slowly from his pocket and flicked the blade out into place.

"Stay still." He cautioned as he moved closer to the injured wolf, kneeling carefully next to the trap and only glancing at it once or twice to know where the important parts were. He had a feeling he shouldn't take his eyes off this she-wolf, not just now. "I'll pry the pin free." Once he had the main mechanism taken apart that way, the teeth would loose tension and fall free, and he would get this he-wolf back to the others for medical attention. He just hoped that sour feeling in his gut didn't mean something bad was about to happen.

 

[Ethys]

Niari paused and glanced to the side. Outsider. No, wait. She knew that scent, somewhat. It was the newcomer to the pack. She watched him approach, crouching down slightly as he eyed her. Her eyes did not stay on him for long. She looked back to her brother, watching as he tried to squirm again, causing more blood to leak. If he shifted now, the trap would likely dig in harder and he could very well bleed to death. There was no undoing it himself. She took another step closer. If she shifted, she could help.. but she didn't want to help. Helping meant he would get away and the blood would be gone.

Wait, what?

She had to stop thinking that way. Ignore the desires. Her attempts to focus dissolved with ease as the newcomer.. what was his name? Isaiah? No.. Isaac. Yes, that was it.. hopefully. She honestly wasn't sure. He wasn't a very social person. Not that she cared right now. What she did care about was that he was moving toward her brother in such a way that put him between her and the injured wolf. She crouched down slightly and growled at him, a warning. Move. He had a blade. She was tempted to jump at him right then, but if Tomas was freed, he could fight too. Two on one wasn't a fair fight, especially since she was smaller.

She watched Isaac closely, using his every glance down to creep forward. By the time Tomas was free, she was within easy lunging distance of the newcomer. She growled again, deeper this time. It was no longer a warning. She could think of nothing else. He was stealing her kill. She had to fight him. Tomas limped away as best as he was able, knowing what Niari was and what she wanted. She darted toward him, eager for the thrill of a good chase.

 

[Verona]

Isaac didn't like having to take his eyes off of the she-wolf, not given her proximity and the way she looked back at him. Still, he had to wiggle the blade of his knife behind the head of the pin and work it out a bit before he could pull it out with his hands, and every time he had to look and see what his hands were doing she moved closer. This wasn't curiosity. This was a wolf on the hunt, and Isaac still wasn't sure what it was she was hunting. He had a sinking feeling it was him - or, possibly worse, the injured wolf he was working on freeing.

When the pin was free, Isaac helped nudge the teeth out of the wolf's leg and down, and knew he would need to get back as quickly as he could so he could stop the bleeding. But then, that was when things went wrong. As wary as he was and as close as the she-wolf had gotten, Isaac didn't think before acting. The second she made a lunge for the injured he-wolf, even if by some chance it had been to help him, Isaac moved. If the injured wolf had gotten any further away on his injured limb it wouldn't have worked, but Isaac leaped from the crouch he'd been in and knocked the she-wolf down, wrapping an arm around her neck at the same time.

"Leave him be!" He snapped as he got both arms around her throat, hoping she wouldn't have the range to twist and bite him and that any scratches her paws would give him would heal quickly enough. He was going to be in trouble for this, he thought somewhere in the back of his mind, but it couldn't stop him. Whether something was wrong with her or she needed to be put down by the alpha, he had to restrain her. Knife still in hand, he tightened his grip around her and hoped she would see reason before she tried to kill either of them. He didn't have time to shift; he would have to fight like this.

"Get a hold of yourself." Isaac hissed as he struggled to keep hold of her, trying to use a leg to pin her hind quarters to the ground. "Don't make me use this blade."

((I gotta leave soon and won't be back for a couple hours. Depending on how quickly you reply I might have one more post in me before I leave :) but if not I'll get back to you later))

 

[Ethys]

The blood dimmed her attention.

For some reason, Niari didn't really think about the fact that Isaac was still there. He was an extra sack of blood to be consumed for dessert if he stuck around, that was all. She did not take into account that he would intervene. Just before she got close enough to Tomas to snap her jaws around his leg, she was stopped. An arm collided with her throat and she yelped, growling viciously a moment later and squirming around. The hold was tighter than she had anticipated, and he was still armed. She howled and squirmed harder, working her way around and getting her teeth dangerously close to his cheek.

Her howl inspired Tomas to act. He let out a long, loud howl of his own. Mere seconds later, howls were answering from the clearing. They had heard the cry for help and were closing in fast. That certainly snapped the Halfling out of her crazed bloodlust. Now fully panicked, she wrenched her way away from Isaac and took off at a sprint through the trees. She had to get away from them before anybody spotted her and asked what had happened.

[Kept it short to hurry x3]

 

[Verona]

(That was just seconds before I shut my laptop haha sneaking a quick reply though :) ))

There was a brief lull in his attention, and it was the only thing that got her free, he thought. Her skull cracked back at the right angle to hit him square in the face, and quite likely give him a faint black eye later on, and his grip relaxed just enough for her to thrash free of his arms. By the time he'd recovered and sat up, she was too far away to chase. And he had bigger problems at hand.

Isaac's mind went quickly through the facts, analyzing, trying to come to a decision. The blood and the injured wolf next to him, himself being a newcomer and holding a weapon, no less, didn't look good. And yet, running off and 'fleeing the scene', as it were, would probably only look worse. And yet staying where he was wasn't advisable either, as this pack was more likely to protect its own than give him the benefit of the doubt upon finding him. He was a sitting duck and they were coming fast.

Thinking fast, Isaac closed his blade and put it back in a pocket, getting to his feet and moving to the other side of the small clearing. He positioned himself so that the incoming wolves would see their injured pack member mostly safe and the disarmed bear trap before seeing Isaac himself, and could thus come to their own conclusions. Then, he sat down and made sure his empty hands were in plain view and waited.

"Do you need to be carried?" He asked the injured wolf, as the approaching pack members began to come into view a ways away. He would make sure this injured he-wolf got home safely, and the second he was free of the others he was going to track down that she-wolf and get answers.

 

[Ethys]

The pack moved quickly. As soon as they had sight of Tomas, they slowed. Several sniffed at the bear trap, while more trotted over to the injured wolf. A few eyed Isaac, but none growled at him or made any sort of threatening gestures. After a moment, Tomas and Niari's mother, the Alpha, shifted into her human form. She had kept a cloak fastened around her neck to keep her decent when she shifted. It was a practice that took ages to learn without ripping it, but she was a modest woman. She quickly went to Tomas and examined him, then looked at Isaac with a frown.

"Thank you for helping him," she said, still concerned for her child. "This area is not safe. You would do well to avoid it. Hunters have been on the prowl for bears and the idiots don't realize they're hurting a lot more than that. Stay to the East," she advised him before directing a few of the others to shift and help to carry Tomas back to the clearing. He was too weak to shift now, and he needed to be bandaged up before the damage became permanent.

Meanwhile, Niari was running North, toward the mountains. She needed space. If she could just get away from them all, maybe she could think this through. What was Tomas going to say? Would he finally tell their mother that she was a Halfling? Did her mother even know? And what about Isaac? The way he had looked at her.. he knew something. Maybe not the truth, but he could figure it out. She ran faster, weaving through the trees and bounding over rocks as quickly as she was able.

After twenty minutes of hard running, she was forced to slow. She was tired and nervous. Perhaps a pause would make it easier before continuing on. She trotted over to a quiet stream and peered at her reflection. Grey and white fur, blue eyes. The face of a killer? She opened her mouth and peered at the wolfish teeth inside. No fangs. Snapping her jaws closed, she howled softly and curled up in the grass. This place would have to do.

 

[Verona]

Isaac stayed still and quiet as the pack members came in, letting them inspect him and make sure he wasn't a threat. Mostly it was for himself, wanting to know that if he made some sudden motion they wouldn't jump him at once. But he knew they were smart and would be able to work out what had happened - or at least, what was most likely to have happened from an outside point of view, without knowing how the other she-wolf had been involved. To that end, he didn't stand until the Alpha had finally addressed him.

"Yes, ma'am." He said softly, working his way to his feet but keeping his head a bit bowed in respect and deference. He waited until the pack had begun to disperse, moving a bit away as if he would follow her instructions. The second he was out of sight, he changed directions and hurried north.

Wary of hunters' traps, Isaac started at a careful walk, and started to run once he was free of any signs of poaching. He did his best to always keep the wind blowing towards him, so that he could find her scent but she wouldn't catch his too quickly. It made tracking her pawprints harder, but he had learned to keep himself hidden that way long ago - as a child when he didn't want to stop exploring and come home just yet, and as he grew older simply to avoid his own father. As he got closer to where he thought she could be, he slowed to a jog, then finally a walk, and did his best to keep his footsteps quiet enough to avoid immediate detection.

She was peaceful, when he found her. She lay curled up by a trickling stream, seemingly at peace. Whatever had overtaken her before had calmed down, it seemed, and he had a mind to find out what it was.

". . . Something with an N, isn't it?" He started softly, leaning back against a tree nearby, a hand in his pocket so he could have his knife if he needed it. It wouldn't do to shift now. The long moments it would take to strip and do so would leave him too vulnerable. "Alpha's daughter. . . I've had your scent before." He knew he'd met her, but her name escaped him, as many did. There were too many to learn in this place.

After a pause, her attention finally on him, he moved to very slowly let his coat slide back off his shoulders, and when he had it off his arms he pulled it around and held it out to her, expression carefully blank even as he offered the clear invitation for her to shift back, and to use his coat for warmth. It fell to his knees when he wore it, and would be more than enough to cover her. "Will you explain? Or will someone have to put you down instead?" She was dangerous, that much was clear. Even if there was nothing wrong, there had to be some rather convincing answers or he was going to share what had happened with the Alpha.

 

[Ethys]

Niari was watching a small rabbit jump by. The creature didn't realize that there was a large wolf just a few yards away, watching its every move. It simply hopped along, little nose twitching as it went. She could hear the blood pumping through the small veins. If she just grabbed it, she could have dinner and nobody would question it.. though they had already eaten, so perhaps they would. Oh, how she longed to feel the hot rush of blood down her throat..

Snap.

The faint sound of a cracking twig got her attention and she turned her head, immediately tensing as she saw Isaac had managed to get into her sight without her noticing. She growled quietly and rose to all fours, ready to bolt or knock him over if necessary. However, instead of advancing further, he leaned against a tree and started speaking to her. He knew who she was. That wasn't good. She slowly sat back on her haunches, watching him closely as he removed his coat and offered it to her.

Put you down. So, he knew. She still had options, of course. On one hand, she could shift and speak to him, but that seemed like a poor option. Halflings were strictly forbidden for good reason, and she had a feeling that rule was for more than just her own pack. He would know. On the other hand, she could easily outrun him. By the time he shifted, she could be miles away if she wanted. She could hide in the mountains. But if she did that, he could turn tail and run back to the pack instead of chasing her. He could tell them all what she was and how she had nearly attacked Tomas when he was at his most vulnerable. She would never be able to go home.

Ever.

That made her decision clear. She slowly walked over to him, eyeing him to make sure he wasn't still holding that blade he had earlier. Once she was satisfied, she turned her back to him and shifted. She slid her arms into the offered coat and wrapped it around her, then turned to face him. Her light blue eyes were a bit scared, but also defensive. Even like this, she craved blood. It didn't matter. She frowned at him and crossed her arms.

"You really shouldn't be so close to me," she informed him quietly, doing her very best not to stare at his throat. "You can't put me down."

 

[Verona]

Isaac knew offering his coat was inviting her closer, but he didn't want to toss it, let it land in the dirt. It had been his father's, once upon a time, and part of him liked clinging to the memories of a time before the man had gone insane. Just letting her use it pained him a little, and he kept it clutched tightly in hand as she approached, only relaxing when she turned her back to him. When she'd shifted and put it on, he let go. It left him in just a white t-shirt and black jeans, black shoes, the jagged white scars running down his left arm more exposed than they had been since he'd recieved them.

"Isn't my right." He said, when she told him he couldn't out her down. "But I never said I would be the one to do it." That would, most likely, be her own mother's job. Still, he did take a few steps back away from her, briefly gesturing out with open hands as if to ask if the distance between them now was sufficient. He knew he shouldn't be close to her. Part of him thought no one should, and he wanted to know why,

"What's under your skin?" He asked once there was a good ten feet between them, not enough space to be safe but enough to give him time to react should she snap and attack. His eyes were piercing but his body language almost relaxed, hand resting casually in a pocket so he still had his knife. "I could understand if you were trying to defend him. You don't know me. But you weren't really looking at me. Were you."

In more ancient times, it would have been acceptable for a wolf to attack an injured packmate just to put them out of their misery, or to take over if it were an alpha. But it hadn't been the alpha, and they had medicine and doctors now that made mercy killings all but absolete.

"I saw the look in your eyes. . . You were hunting."

 

[Ethys]

Niari looked away. She didn't need him to say it. Unless she attacked him and he had no other choice, there was no way that a newcomer to the pack would dare do something so stupid as to put down the Alpha's daughter. No, he was not foolish. He would get somebody else to do it. Her mother would likely do the deed herself if it came down to it - she was a stickler for lineage and Niari was only damaging the line. She wondered yet again if her mother knew what sort of monstrosity she had given birth to. Then again.. None of her brothers were Halflings. She was certain of that. Her father had been a pure werewolf, so she knew her mother had slept with a Vampire at some point. But why hadn't either side noticed or done anything? Did nobody else know?

She looked back at Isaac as he backed away and started speaking to her once more. He was right, of course. She hadn't been defending Tomas from Isaac at all. They had both been potential prey, with one already weakened by injury. It would have been all too easy to just..

No, no.

She shook her head a little to push the thoughts away, trying to ignore the gnawing pain in her belly. It was similar to hunger, but it refused to be sated by meat or vegetables. She needed something else. Acknowledging that meant admitting to what she was, which she was not ready for. The pack would disown her immediately, and the Vampires weren't going to take in a Halfling either. Even if she were allowed to live, she'd die.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she finally said, her lie probably obvious. She looked away from Isaac, her expression pained. Poor Tomas. He would never, ever trust her again. She sighed and glanced back at the newcomer, her curiosity starting to grow. "You knew I was a threat. You kept me from getting to Tomas. You're nervous," she pointed out, tilting her head slightly to the side as she watched him. "Why are you here? Aren't you scared? You're alone."

 

[Verona]

Something was going on in that strange little head of hers, that much was clear. She hardly looked at him, and Isaac wasn't sure if he should take it to mean she didn't see him as a threat or not. If she was just dealing with something internal and didn't want him to see it in her eyes, that was one thing. But if she wasn't the least bit concerned about his presence with the tension that hung in the air between them, he was probably in more danger than he'd oringinally thought.

Nervous. He huffed a faint laugh, despite himself. Who wouldn't be nervous? She was an unknown, and likely unstable. He knew nothing about her, even beyond what strange things were going on in her head. He, quite obviously, did not have the high ground in this confrontation. But he couldn't let it stop him.

"I've been alone for a while now." He said, rather than acknowledge the obvious fact of his own nerves. She could see it, and he wasn't trying as hard as he could have to hide it. He was wary. "Someone's got to get to the bottom of this, and it quite obviously isn't going to be another of your pack. What do I have to lose?" There wasn't much she could take from him. He wasn't afraid to die, and if he did it would only leave evidence behind that would make her pack suspicious. If they had any sense at all they would investigate.

"Explain." He demanded, tone more serious, more threatening. She had to explain. "Convince me. Tell me why I shouldn't go back and let the others deal with you instead." It was possible they wouldn't believe him, being a newcomer, but he would tell them what he'd seen and that he suspected sometning was wrong with her. At the very least, it would make them wonder, make them watch her closely. It would ruin her.

 

[Ethys]

He was starting to really upset her, and she knew it was a mistake. But how was she supposed to warn him without telling him? He was just standing there, oblivious. She could get to him with ease and steal his blade, stab him in the heart and tear into his throat before he even knew what happened. If she moved quickly enough, she could sate her hunger before he even finished thrashing around. Maybe she could bury the body after and claim the newcomer had run off just as quickly as he appeared. Her mother hopefully wouldn't mind. If she did, she could always take her on too..

Fuck. What was wrong with her?!

"I won't let you go back if you're going to sell me out," she snapped, more angry at herself than at him. None of this was easy. She didn't want to kill him. He probably didn't deserve it. Honestly, she didn't know anything about him. She sighed and looked over at him, her expression open and pleading instead of hostile.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so hungry..."

 

[Verona]

He was beginning to think he should have left a note behind with his things. Something like, If I don't come back, something's wrong with the Alpha's daughter. He had a feeling this wasn't going to go as peacefully as he'd planned. Something in her was twisting, bending, ready to snap, and it was becoming more apparent by the looks she gave him that the something was violent. Part of him wished he'd brought more with him than just a knife.

"I didn't come for a fight." He cautioned, keeping himself calm, keeping his tone mostly even. It was clear enough now that she needed to be soothed to get her to speak, not provoked. "All I want is answers." He gave a faint shrug. "Who knows. Maybe we can help each other. So tell me. . . What exactly are you hungry for?"

There was something going on here, something that went beyond just normal werewolf nature, beyond anything the moon could induce even if it were full. He wanted answers, and he wasn't lying. If there was some way she could be helped, and she wouldn't be a danger to her pack, he didn't see a reason she would have to die.

 

[Ethys]

Niari turned away from him, gazing out at the trees on the other side of the stream. She didn't want to tell him. To just come out and say it meant that she would finally be saying it aloud. A Halfling. A disgrace. She frowned and watched a bird land on a branch. Going home for the night, probably. She wanted to go home too. First, though, she had to deal with Isaac. This was becoming a headache. It had been over a year total since she first felt the odd sensations. The cravings. They had only gotten stronger and she knew that resisting was just stupid. She was fighting her nature, trying to cling to what she wasn't.

Idiocy.

She turned back to Isaac and eyed him for a moment. He was nervous, yes, but also determined. Despite facing the unknown, he was standing his ground and demanding that she tell him. She fully believed that if left as it were, he'd go running back to the pack and set them after her. He seemed the type to follow through on his word. More importantly, she could hear his heart. It was a distraction. She frowned, trying not to focus on it.

"Fine," she sighed, shaking her head. "Just.. fine. I can't fight this anymore. I want blood. I need it. I just want to tear your throat out and feed from you and throw you away like a useless ragdoll," she explained, using every bit of her self control not to advance on him as she spoke. Instead, she sat by the water and purposely didn't look at him. He was just too appetizing to look at. She started mentally counting to one hundred. If she still couldn't get him off her mind by then, she decided to just grab him and get rid of this aching hunger.

 

[Verona]

Isaac was tensed even after she'd turned away from him, fingers curling a little more firmly around the knife in his pocket. If he needed it, it was there, but he had a feeling it wasn't going to do any good in the long run. At the very least, it would hurt her, and perhaps her being hurt and him going missing would lead to some suspicion itself, though it would likely be aimed at him instead. None of this was going to go well. He should have thought it over better before following her.

"Blood?" He parroted, something incredulous crossing over his expression before he caught himself. "It's not a full . . ." Oh.

That was the problem, wasn't it? Werewolves only went through bloodlust on a full moon, and even then only when the sun had completely fallen and could no longer keep them at bay. She'd started losing herself at twilight, and the only creatures he knew of that wanted for blood without the moon were vampires. It didn't make sense. He'd seen her shift, seen her integrated into this pack like she'd been there her entire life. And with her mother as Alpha, she had to have been. The way her scent lined up with her mothers, she couldn't be adopted, nor could she have gone through the Change if she'd been a vampire to start out with.

It left one choice, as much as his mind had been trained never to think it was possible.

What do I have to lose? That thought kept running through his head. What did he have to lose? What responsibility did he have to protect a pack that wasn't his? But if this place could be his home, if he could find a place here for himself, what did he have to lose? Life? Pain? Those words had lost their meaning.

"Take off the coat." He said as he moved slowly closer, knowing he was insane as he did it. When he was next to her he hesitated, then finally sat on his knees next to her. "Take it off." He repeated, more firmly, and pulled out his knife. "I don't want you getting blood on it, and this is for my comfort," He explained as the blade sniked softly out into place, and held his other arm out to her with his fingers closed into a loose fist and the underside of his wrist angled towards her. "There's a pulse there. Sense it? You're going to bite there, and if you don't let go soon enough I'm going to put this blade through your goddamn eye."

If she was what he thought she was, it meant that the longer she went without feeding the crazier she would get. It would be better to end it now. She could feed from him, and even if it left him weak it would sate her. The others would be safer that way. What did he have to lose?

((Often in vampire rps I generally say that vampires can lick the wound to close it, for convenience's sake. Sound like a plan? If not we can just try and bandage his wrist with something haha but neck bites would be harder to hide))

 

[Ethys]

Niari frowned to herself as she listened to him reasoning it out. Not a full moon. As if that mattered. She looked up at the stars, then back down at the grass tickling her toes. It could have been a new moon for all it mattered to her right now. The bloodlust she felt as a Werewolf shifting on the full moon was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Her throat was burning and the ache in her stomach was getting worse the longer she sat here. They were alone. No witnesses. He would not be able to kill her. She could add up a dozen reasons in her mind why it was a good time to attack, and it was getting harder to resist by the second.

She looked up at him in stunned surprise as he sat next to her. Giving him an expression that clearly doubted his sanity, she simply stared at him as he pulled out his knife and held his arm out while explaining that she could bite him. Permission. He was giving her permission. Maybe he wasn't as mentally stable as she had thought. She frowned, eyeing the blade, but her attention could not stray for long. The soft beating of his heart called to her, and he was just so damned close!

Follow the rules first, Niari.

She slid the coat off, tossing it off to the side easily. He had said she had to let go, but she had no plans of giving a little nibble and then walking away. Though she had bitten Tomas before, she had not had time to feed. She had never truly fed. The thought made her hesitate.. at first. She scooted closer to him, still wary of the blade, but not fearful enough to stop. Her hands grasped his arm to hold it in place and she felt her fangs extend as her body anticipated the blood. She quickly sank them into his wrist, her grip on him tight. As soon as she felt the warm rush on her tongue, she relaxed almost completely. Finally. She closed her eyes and fed happily, more than content to sit there for as long as it took.

 

[Verona]

She thought he was insane, but it wouldn't stop her. He'd known it wouldn't. Fledgling vampires were never in their right mind when they needed to feed, and when there was a beating heart there just waiting for her to take hold of what she needed she wouldn't be able to stop herself. He knew that going into things, even if the shock was still lingering somewhere in his head, even if he knew he probably wasn't in his right mind either. How could he be? He'd lost everything. Maybe he really did want to die, somewhere in the blackest corners of his heart.

Feeding wasn't as instant a process as some thought it was, not even from the vein he'd given her, but Isaac had seen vampires feed before. Vampires had been part of pack business, somehow, and he had accompanied his former Alpha and seen it all happen. It was the only reason he knew to start counting the second the pain hit him, to keep the numbers running through his head even through the strange pulling sensation of the feed, even through the way his brain would start to fog and his muscles would shake.

"You should be getting full. . ." He managed when he'd counted the time almost to the end of how long it should take her to feed, shaking his head to try and get some clarity back as she drank from him even though he was almost beginning to need her shoulder for support just to stay upright. He had to be strong. He was alone, and if he wasn't strong for himself there would be no one around to help him anymore. It had been his fate since the beginning.

"You have three seconds." The weakened he-wolf hissed, bringing his knife up to bear so that the tip could be felt just against her eyelid, close enough and sharp enough that it could nick her if she so much as opened her eyes. "Let go, or I carve out your eyes."

((Did you want to do the whole, 'vampires can lick the wound to heal it' thing?))

 

[Ethys]

Niari was in heaven. Why had she resisted this wonderful thing for so long? His blood was not the most delicious thing she had ever tasted, but it was by far the most satisfying. She felt as though she was finally getting a meal after years of going without. It made her feel full and relaxed. She ignored him when he mentioned that she should be getting full, but the touch of the blade was not something she was willing to endure. The cold steel made her pause. She was full and merely suckling for enjoyment now. He was right. She had to stop.

Letting out a half-growl, half-hiss at his threat, she slowly pulled her fangs out of him and opened her eyes. The knife nicked her slightly and she snapped an arm out, easily batting his weakened limb away to send the weapon flying. Damned thing. She frowned, then slowly licked his wrist. It had been a gesture of instinct, but as she watched, she could see the wound closing. Interesting. She looked back up at him, her lips a bloody red.

"Thank you.." she said after a moment, then she realized she was sitting there naked as a pup. Oh dear. She quickly shifted, full of both a feeling of power and one of being overly full. Time to nap. But first.. She got up onto all fours and went over to his jacket, picking it up with her jaws but taking care not to harm it in any way. Moving in as much of a non-threatening way as she could manage, she went over and dropped it in his lap. She backed away afterward, certain he would want nothing to do with her. It was getting later, but she was in no shape to run home. Instead, she curled up right there on the ground and let out a yawn, watching Isaac.